Flop mop



E. N. BARTH April 30, 1968 FLOP MOP Filed June 1. 1966 INVENTOR.

EVERETT N. BARTH ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,380,767 FLOP MOP Everett N. Barth, 550 BurnsideAve., East Hartford, Conn. 06108 Filed June 1, 1966, Ser. No. 554,520 1Claim. (Cl. 287-99) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cleaning implementhaving a handle of two sections joined together by a sleeve. The sleeveis fixedly secured to one section of the handle, and the other sectionof the handle is pivotally connected to the sleeve and can be pivotedinto or out of engagement with a C-shaped clamp section of the sleeve.

This invention relates to household implements. More particularly, thisinvention relates to a cleaning instrument which enables the user toclean areas otherwise accessible only by contorting his or her body intoan uncomfortable position. Accordingly, the general objects of thisinvention are to provide new and useful articles of such character.

There has lOng been a need for cleaning instruments which could be usedto remove dust, dirt and debris from beneath object such as furniture.At the present time, when it is desired to clean under such objects, andparticularly where there is but small clearance between the bottom ofthe object and the floor, it is necessary that the user of prior artcleaning implements assume a kneeling or sitting position on the floor.These contortions of the body are necessitated by the fact that, whetherthe cleaning instrument be a mop, broom, or vacuum cleaner; in order toenable the user to be comfortable in performing the greatest percentageof the work for which the implement is intended; the implement must havea rigid handle of sufficient length so that it may be employed with theuser standing in an upright position. Thus, in order to work the entirearea under an object, it becomes necessary that the user either bendover to an uncomfortable position or actually sit or lie upon the floor.

The aforementioned standard, long, rigid handles precipitate anotherundesirable result. When it is desired to clean under furniture andother objects, the prior art handle defines the hypotenuse of a trianglehaving as its legs the users body and that region of the surface beingcleaned lying between the users feet and the working end of theimplement. The clearance between the surface being cleaned and thebottom of the object under which it is desired to work and also theheight of the user (angle the handle makes with the floor) determine howfar under the object the business end of the implement can be insertedbefore the handle strikes and possibly mars the object. Such marring is,of course, undesirable.

This invention overcomes the above-described disadvantage of the priorart by providing a novel cleaning implement which can be used either inthe conventional manner or which, with the user remaining in an uprightposition, can be inserted under objects.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by providing aconventional cleaning implement, such as a dry mop, with an elongatedhandle consisting of two sections. These two sections are joinedtogether by a sleeve of material having some resiliency. The sleevesurrounds and is securely fastened to one of the sections while theother of said sections is afiixed to the sleeve via a pivot. Alongitudinal portion of the sleeve adjacent to the pivotally attachedhandle section is partially cut away to provide a substantially C-shapedclamping member. In part due to the resiliency of the sleeve material,the pivotally attached handle section may be snapped into and of thesleeve ice as desired thus providing either a rigid elongated handle or,at the option of the user, an articulated handle.

This invention may be better understood and it various advantages becomeapparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanyingdrawing wherein like reference numeral refer to like elements in thevarious figures and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a first embodiment of the present invention in afirst operative position.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 in a second operativeposition.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the sleeve and region surrounding thejoint in the handle of the embodiment of the present invention shown inFIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of the apparatus of FIGURE 2 showing thehandle of the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in thesecond operative position.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a conventional dry mop is shown at 10. Mop 10i releasably held in a frame 12 so that it may be removed forlaundering. Frame 12 has a handle bracket 14 of conventional design towhich an elongated handle may be attached. The sole requirement placedon bracket 14 and its method of aifixation to the handle is that thehandle be rotatable with respect to the bracket so that motion may beimparted to mop 10 regardless of which side of the handle is facingupwardly.

The handle of the implement of the present invention comprises twosections, 16 and 18, which are joined together by a sleeve showngenerally at 20. Handle sections 16 and 18 may be comprised of eitherwood or lightweight metal and, if metal, may be either solid or tubular.It is to be understood that while handle section 16 is shown as having ahole therethrough for engagement with bracket 14, there are manyalternative methods of attaching the handle to the mop frame. It shouldalso be noted that in the embodiment being disclosed sleeve 20 is shownas permanently affixed to handle section 16 while handle section 18 maybe moved into and out of engagement with sleeve 20. Obviously, ifdesired, this relationship may be reversed.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, sleeve 20 may be comprised of any materialhaving sufficient resiliency to withstand the latching action to bedescribed below. While sleeve 20 could be comprised of metal, it ispreferably comprised of a suitable plastic material such as moldedlinear polyethylene. The sleeve has two sections 22 and 24. Sleevesection 22 is of tubular cross section and, in the embodiment beingdescribed, is securely fixed to handle section 16 by a pair of rivets2626. Obviously, any other suitable means may be used for aflixingsleeve section 22 to handle section 16 adjacent the end thereof disposedaway from mop 10.

Sleeve section 24 is, in cross section, C-shaped. Thus, with handlesection 18 in the position shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3, sleeve section 24extends more than half way around handle section 18. Handle section 18is afiixed to sleeve section 24 by means of a single pin or rivet 28which passes through both the sleeve and handle section adjacent the endof handle section 18 as shown. It is to be noted that sufficientclearance must be left between adjacent ends of handle sections 16 and18 to permit pivoting of handle section 18 and that the end of handlesection 18 within the sleeve is preferably rounded.

In use, when cleaning in an area unobstructed by furniture or otherobjects, the handle of the present invention is placed in the positionshown in FIGURES 1 and 3. In this position, C-shaped sleeve section 24is on the top of the elongated handle defined by aligned handle sections16 and 18. That is, for most operations handle section 18 is snapped orlatched into sleeve section 24 and the sleeve provides support for thehandle; a rigid elongated handle thus resulting. When it is desired toclean rbenea-th an object such as desk 30 shown in FIGURE 2, the handleis inverted by rotating about bracket 14 so as to place the open part ofC-shaped sleeve section 24 on top of the handle. Handle section 18 isthen snapped out of the sleeve, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, and pivotedabout pin 28. The user may thus clean beneath an object such as desk 30,while in an upright position, merely by snapping handle 18 out ofC-shaped resilient sleeve section 24. Depending on the height of theuser and the depth of the object under which it is desired to clean, theangle between handle sections 16 and 18 in the second operative positionmay vary from a few degrees to 90.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, variousmodifications and substitutions may be made wtihout departing from thespirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, it is to be understoodthat this invention has been described by way of illustration ratherthan limitation.

What is claimed is:

1. A pivotable handle comprising:

first and second elongated handle sections of substantially circularcross-section;

resilient means for joining said handle sections in end to endrelationship with a first end of one of said handle sections beinglocated adjacent to a first end of the other of said handle sections,said resilient joining means comprising a plastic member which includes,

a first tubular section having an inner diameter 4V correspondingapproximately to the outer diameter of said first handle section, saidfirst tubular section encasing said first end of said first handlesection and being affixed thereto, and a second section of arcuatecross-section, the inner diameter of said second section of said plasticmember corresponding approximately to the outer diameter of said otherof said handle sections, said second section of said plastic memberreleasably engaging said other of said handle sections to form anormally rigid elongated handle; and means for pivotally connecting saidother of said handle sections to said second section of said plasticmember whereby said first and second handle sections are articulatedwhen said other of said handle sections is released from said secondsection of said plastic member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,772,096 8/1930 Diamond 287992,276,746 3/ 1942 Steele 294-5 3.5 XR 2,286,655 6/ 1942 Su-pnick.2,631,316 3/1953 Heller 15-203 XR 2,775,779 1/1957 Nelson 151442,818,291 12/1957 Corns 15144 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 560,180 9/ 1957Belgium.

DANIEL BLUM, Pn'mary Examiner.

